


The Blue Flames of the Mera Mera no Mi

by AliNear



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Adorable Okumura Rin, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Brotherhood, Crossover, Demons, Drama, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, Fantasy, Friendship, Kid Okumura Rin, Kid Okumura Yukio, Pirates, Portgas D. Ace-centric, Reincarnation, Rin is a dork, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Team as Family, pyromaniac Ace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2019-10-31 10:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17847482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliNear/pseuds/AliNear
Summary: When Ace died protecting his brother, he died happy with his choice and no regrets in his final action.Rin was always strange just a little off, from narcolepsy to a weird fascination with pirates. He's nearly ten when he figures out why.Now, he just has to figure out how to deal with a younger brother like Yukio.





	1. Chapter 1

The thing is he didn’t remember it all at once. It started before he was even in school. He never really remembers when it actually started. It was always something, something in the air, a tone, voice, or rather feeling that was just slightly off.

Shiro woke up to the sound of wailing, heart filled sobs the echoed in the monastery. For a long moment he stared at the ceiling. Shaking his head, Shiro stretched and made his way out of bed. He stopped for a moment in the hall, glancing down at all the doors closed filled with the other priest and his friends. He could hear them shuffling and turning in their beds but none of the others were getting up. As it was for the past six months since he had taken custody of the twin boys.

One of the baby’s gave a shriek, jolting him out of his thoughts. Turning he walked back towards the nursery he was met with the sight of the smaller twin, red faced, and screaming his head off. Yukio was almost always the one that was fussing, especially at night. Rin tended to be quieter, happier, but was the one that tended to be stranger. Though Shiro wasn’t sure he should really say it’s strange as he had never been around small children for this long before.

 Stepping over to handle whatever problem the six-month-old was having, he spared a glance at the older one. The baby’s head was turned and staring at them, blinking owlishly at his twin before something to his left caught his attention. It was a sight he was rather use to, as Rin was prone to be up at odd hours, fall asleep at odd hours, and just be a very strange child.

“Yuri, what did you get me into.” Shaking his head, he finished changing Yukio’s diaper.

He moved to stand over Rin with a bemused smile, “Strange one aren’t you.”

Reaching down he checked his diaper, swaddling the baby he held him close and walked around the room with leisure steps.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this.” He told Rin, unsure if he was talking about taking care of the twins or his current situation with Rin.

After a few minutes of this, he walked out of the nursery. The halls were dimly lit but a couple of wall lights- or at Kyodo had called them nightlights, they had installed after the third time Shiro had tripped making his way to the nursery. The light was enough for him to make it to the room, switching on the side lamp and getting comfortable sitting on the couch and draping the baby onto his chest. With one hand on Rin’s head, he reached to the side table to gather up the book on baby care Mephisto had gifted him some months before.

Rin yawned softly, his head moving to rest over Shiro’s heart, snuggling happily before his eyes dropped.

It was the next morning, as Izumi got up to make breakfast, that Shiro is found dozing with the book over his face and Rin sucking his thumb knocked out on his chest.

 

Rin never got a sleep schedule down, no matter what Shiro or the other priest did. They put him down at the same time as Yukio, but while his brother fell asleep in minutes, Rin stayed up with wide blue eyes. It had actually gotten worse as he got older. Climbing out of his bed to wonder around the monastery at night, taking odd naps during the day, and the last couple of weeks simple dropping off to sleep while playing, eating, and babbling to the priest. The priest had panicked the first time he had dropped, the toddler had been eating, smashing his fist into the tray and creating a mess with joyful laughter. His brother taking his que and following his example and spreading his fingers through his food before throwing it. The priest with laughing with them, Maruta snapping pictures and handing the two more food. Suddenly the loudest shrieks came to an abrupt halt and Rin’s head felt forward, slamming into the highchair with a loud bang.

“RIN!”

They rushed him to the doctors, but nothing could be determined. They were in and out of doctors’ offices and specialist.

It wasn’t until he was nearly three that Shiro went to another specialist that finally gave them more then a few words and a referral to another doctor.

“It wasn’t really a problem before now, but we’ve had to catch him at least twice a day from simple toppling over.” Shiro explained quietly, handing Rin a pen to play with.

“Can you tell me how he usually sleeps?” The doctor asked, smiling at Rin when his blue eyes looked up.

“He gets nightmares, but other than that I’m not sure he’s up at odd hours. We find him playing quietly in his room or walking in the halls…”

“Okay, can you fill these out? Answer as best you can.” He told Shiro before turning to Rin, “Hello Rin, would you mind answering some questions for me.”

Glancing back at his father, Rin cheerful answer “Yeah!”

“Okay then, we’re gonna leave Oto-san to fill out this boring paperwork.”

Giggling, Rin followed the doctor out and into the small play room across the hall. It took nearly a half hour before Shiro was done. Knocking gentle on the door, he passed the paperwork to the doctor and went to pick up Rin, who had fallen asleep at some point.

“I’ll call you with the results or if I can find someone to help.” the doctor said warmly.

Shaking his hand, Shiro took Rin home, shrugging at the other priest hopeful looks. For three days they heard nothing from the doctor, when the phone call did come, Izumi and Maruta gathered Yukio and Rin brought them into their room to play with some toys.

Shiro came in nearly an hour after with a troubled look on his face and for a while he just sat back and watched the twins play.

“We got a diagnoses and medication.” He told the priest that night.

“Well?”

Narcolepsy, the prescription has been sent over and we just have to pick it up. We need to keep him on a strict schedule and diet to help. No caffeine what so ever.” He said sternly, his gaze sticking to Kyodo who even know was holding a can of Pepsi.

“Well…” Izumi shrugged, “At least it’s a human thing?”

Shaking his head at the other priest, Murta pipped up, “I’ll do some research, let you know what I find.”

“Thank you.”

           

Shiro had Yukio on his hip and Rin was toddling along right in front of him. He had decided to take the boys to one of the small toys stores in the shopping center. The twins were dressed in matching black slacks and baby blue shirts. Yukio had a pair of glasses perched on his nose.

 It didn’t take long for Shiro to notice, Rin would latch on to anything with a blue bird, he carried around one stuffed toy throughout the entire store. His attention would only be stolen by tiny plastic ships that he babbled excited about.

“Pi’ate!” he squeals, dropping the bird to grab onto a wooden ship with a whale painted on the side, “Pi’ate!”

“Is it a pirate ship?” Shiro chuckled, as he shifted Yukio to put him on the ground.

 “Un!”

 It was then, that Rin noticed he had dropped his blue bird. Reaching down to grabbed the bird, he dropped the ship with a soft thump. He stood to his full height of three foot four, blinking down at the two downed toys.

A pair of blue eyes widen and looked up at Shiro in shock, his mouth forming a perfect O.

“It okay, it okay, Nii-san.” Yukio prattled, gently patting his brother’s cheek before he grabbed the blue bird.

 “I help!”

A large grin stretched across Rin’s face, before he grabbed the wood ship from the floor.

“Well then, come on to the register.” He ushered the two to the front of the store.

Smiling at the elderly women behind the counter with thin gray hair, Shiro handed her the crayons Yukio had picked out.

Before she could give him the total, he held up a hand and motioned towards the two boys trying valiantly to look over the counter. Standing on their tip toes, the boys handed the elderly woman the ship and bird. Yukio turned and stared at Shiro, as Rin held his hand out. With an amused smile, Shiro handed the money to Rin, who handed it to Yukio. Glancing at the elderly women, he chuckled at her amused smile, as she slowly read out the numbers. With his tongue sticking out, Yukio diligently counted the yen. Nodding in satisfaction, Yukio handed his brother the money. Rin nodded and promptly stuck his hand onto the edge of the counter and dropped the yen.

With a wide smile, she counted the money and handed the receipt to Rin.

“Here are your crayons, bird, and boat.”

“Pi’ate ship!” Rin informed her before grabbing Yukio’s hand to start the walk home.

 

 It was two days later that Yukio and Rin were sitting at the table, along with Rin’s blue bird he called Maco, coloring with Yukio’s new crayons. Rin scribbling furiously onto the paper in front of him, surrounded by reds, blues, and yellows.

Leaning over to peer at the children’s drawing, Shiro couldn’t help but chuckle as Yukio tried diligently to color inside the lines. Turning his attention to Rin, he paused when he noticed the other pages that sat discarded around Rin.

“Hey Rin, do you want any more colors?”

Scrunching up his nose, Rin glanced over at the purples, greens, tans, and other colors. His gaze locked on the orange for a moment before he shook his head.

“No.”

“Well… okay then. Do, you want to tell Papa what your drawing?” He tried.

Whipping his head around, Rin grabbed at the picture to the right of him and started to point at a blue blob.

“Wants’ta wite a book, but pi’ate first. Gonna go on a’bentures.” He chattered, “This me,” he told him, now pointing at the red blob to the right, “I’mma be pi’ate too.”

“And this one?” Shiro asked softly, looking at a crude triangle, twirl, and a line.

“It’s pi’ate flag, pi’ate flag, papa.” He told him, looking at him like he was stupid for asking.

Some pictures ended up on the fridge, while others- with the insistence of Rin- were carefully tacked in the boy’s bedroom. Where Rin would sit in front of the pictures with the bird, ship, and Yukio excitedly whispering as he pointed. Yukio’s eyes would sparkle as he gleefully laughed at his brother’s stories.

 Months passed before anything else caught Rin’s attention as much as the ship and bird had.

A large white stuffed dog he had stared at as they passed the store each day for nearly three months, before it was moved from its display. Rin had cried to Shiro about it for nearly the entire day.

Maruta had shook his head before handing the toy to the sobbing boy, commenting that it had supposed to be a present for the twins fast approaching sixth birthday. Rin had stopped crying in shock when the toy had been shown to him, one hand reaching out to pet at the soft fur and the other reaching out to hug at the priest.

Shaking their heads and sharing amused looks the priest watched as the boy happily pet the dog.

Crouching down, Maruta joking asked, “Are you going to name him after me?”

He nearly busted out laughing at the affronted look the five-year-old shot him, as he quickly hugged the dog. “Name is Stefan. He already  _had_ a name.” he told them, before running off screaming for Yukio.

Izumi smiled softly before turning to Shiro, and dropping his smile.

“An English name?” he asked his leader softly.

Shrugging his shoulders, “Rin, seems to pick up languages easily, I heard him repeating French words.” He told them.

Shiro’s gaze moving to Kyodo, the only one in the monastery that knew French. His hand went to the back of his head as he looked thoughtful at the others.

“I had to speak to one of the European branches a couple weeks ago, they wanted to send over a couple exwire’s for training.”

“He has been picking up the Latin from mass rather easily.”

The priest could only watch with bemused smiles when Rin came running back in with the toy, only to see he had tapped a white banana shape to the dog.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for commenting and leaving Kudos. I have a couple chapters already written out so, I'm going to try and update weekly!

The following year brought about the first year of elementary school and with it, a new set of problems. While at first Rin and Yukio shined, Rin a little bit more. Excited, happy, and friendly the other children flocked to him. Never one to leave his shyer brother behind, everyone soon learned that anywhere Rin went Yukio was close behind. The teacher gushed to Shiro about Rin’s advanced language and reading, while Yukio excelled at math. The priest couldn’t be prouder. The twins went through their first year, happy and some of the most popular kids in their class.

It didn’t last.

The next year, when the seven and eight-year-olds' were out running around, one of the larger boy’s made their way to Yukio. Taunting the smaller boy and pushing him down, he was about to grab at the toy Yukio had been playing with. His friend having run off the second they saw the older boy coming towards them. His friend had sprinted across the playground straight towards the game of wall ball, Rin had cheerfully orchestrated.

“Rin,” the boy panted, “Trouble.” He told him, pointing back towards Yukio.

In a second Rin was running towards the confrontation. Barely even thinking as the image of a large man appeared to be standing next to him. He was wearing a bright orange flowered shirt and black pants. His hair was dark but beginning to gray, covering his head and going down into a beard and mustache. A curved scare ran around his left eye going from under his eye to his forehead.

 _“It’ll break if you wrap your fingers around your thumb. If you keep your legs to close, you’ll topple over- you brat.”_ The man told him, crossing his arms and staring at him.

Nodding his head, he followed the directions. Separating his feet and planting them flat on the ground, making a fist with his thumb out. His arm shot forward and back swiftly, almost a blur of movement. His fingers tingled but his focus was on his down appointment.

_“No matter what, never take your eyes off an opponent. Even if they go down, they can get back up.”_

Nodding his head in acknowledgment, he absentmindedly muttered back “Thanks Shitty-Geezer.”

The boy that had been bullying Yukio stood back up, his face set in an angry scowl and voice rising as he stalked forward, raising his own fist forward. Rin didn’t dodge the first punch and wasn’t sure why he felt so wrong and puzzled that it still hit him. Shaking his head, he lunged forward, easily taking the other boy down.

          The fight stopped after Rin threw another punch, taking a tooth with it. When the other boy turned to run, tears streaming down his face and hand over his mouth, Rin turned to offer his hand to his younger brother. Tilting his head when the image of his be-speckled brother was a smaller boy, with a curved scare resting under his eye. When he blinked to clear the ghostly image, a blond boy briefly took its place. Hauling his brother up, they raced home. The tightly curled blond hair turning darker as the clothes faded into the uniform for their school.

          The next day Rin’s usual group was much smaller.

          “Hey, Akemi?” Rin tried, walking over to the dark-haired boy.

          The boy turned his head, refusing to meet Rin’s eyes.

          “Ami?”

          The green-eyed girl moved away. Rin turned back towards Yukio, his brow furrowed and lips pouted. With dark eyes Yukio grabbed onto Rin’s hand and pulled him towards their seats.

          “Ne, ne, Yukio?”

          “Class will start soon.” He told his brother.

                    “ _Did you see him beat up Riku?”_

_“Kaito said there was a lot of blood.”_

_“-- hospital.”_

_“It’s hard to believe someone like Rin could—”_

_“---Dangerous.”_

_“Akemi said he was talking to himself again.”_

_“You don’t think--- crazy?”_

Rin ducked his head, as the whispering got louder throughout the day. By the end of the day the entire school was talking about it. Whispers of blood, hospitalization, and how unnatural it was that a seven-year-old was fought like that. As the days went by his friend group shrunk, especially as older boys challenged him and others tried to push Yukio around.

          For a while the teachers tried to play moderator, urging the children to get along. Until…it started off with small things. During the school clean up, Rin had volunteered to move the boxes.

          Carefully he had stacked the boxes, four to five high, with the heaviest stuff on the bottom. No one had really thought anything of the seven-year-old walking down the hall with the boxes, until Yumi tried to help by taking one of the carefully stacked boxes. When she couldn’t lift all five, she went down to four, then three, until she ended up with on measly box that still left her arms shaking.

          “Why isn’t anyone else helping Rin?” Mrs. Tezuka asked the students kindly.

          “No one can pick up the boxes.” Akemi told her quickly, “Rin can cause he’s not normal.”

          Scolding the boy lightly, she stepped forward and nearly dropped the boxes.

          “What in the world?” opening the boxes she peered in to see tightly packed textbooks in one, arts and craft supplies that range from wooden planks to some wrapped clay, and festival supplies.

          “Excuse me,” turning her head she was met with the sight of Rin.

          Quickly she watched as Rin closed the boxes, she had just opened, and stack them before picking them up with easy.

          She followed behind him as he carried it down the hall and to the storage room. His head turning to glance back at her before he said something just loud enough for her to hear.

          “Yes, Geezer, I know to be careful with the glassy stuff.”

 As he turned to make his way back towards the classroom, she continued forwards in shock, walking herself into the teachers longue.

          “Are you okay?” The music teacher asked kindly, “You’re a little pale.”

          “One of my students just picked up something, I think only body builders would be able to.” Taking a deep breath and forging on over her coworkers bemused stares, “And- and he was talking to himself or gods I hope it was himself. It was the most unnatural thing I’ve seen.”

          As weeks turned into months it only got worse for Rin. His once large friend group dwindled down until the only one by his side was Yukio. It didn’t help that as he lost more and more friends and the teachers started to turn on him, he started to act stranger and stranger.

          Glancing to his right, he scowled at the elderly man he had started to call the geezer. Rin always flinched when he showed up even though he wasn’t sure why. He hated and loved the old gruff voice that would sharply tell him how to fight and control his strength, but each time he would show up the meeting would end with his image trying to smack him on the head. It didn’t hurt but Rin would always end up with a headache by the end of the night.

          The geezer was walking beside him, with a blank expression.

          “Ace.”

          Rin turned, use to the man calling him Ace. He watched as the man sat down, crossed legged with his arms also crossed, his face was set into a serious expression.

          _“Yes, Gramps?”_

          Rin’s head tilted, he felt his lips move and knew those words left his mouth though he wasn’t sure why. An urge or instinct that always told him what to say to the old man always guided him.         

          “Let me tell you about Gold Roger.”

          Rin half listened, replying absentmindedly through instinct more then anything. Instead he focused on the bubbling in his stomach. His head felt fuzzy and he could feel the bile burning his throat.

          “ _Should I have been born?”_

          The geezer’s large hand rubbed at his shoulder before it disappeared, taking his hulking form with it.

          Rin tried to shake the questioning feeling that stayed in the back of his head. As the days passed and he lost friends, the doubt stuck after the talk with the geezer, along with the warning. _No one can know._ But he wasn’t sure what they couldn’t know…

 

He eventually decided that what he couldn't tell had to be the people he saw, that no one else seemed to be able to see. Because the Geezer wasn’t the only one.

 

                He started to ‘learn’ how to cook when he had free time, which turned into a lot because he wasn’t allowed to join clubs after he broke the kids ribs in boxing and broke half the equipment in baseball and didn’t have any friends. The priest at the monastery were confused when they came home to see a small feast of meats on the table, ranging from rabbit (when did they get that?) to beef and chicken (Shiro didn’t remember buying either in that quantity). He didn’t question why he knew how to cook meat to perfection- though without any seasoning- and didn’t think to tell the priests that he had done all of it over open flames in the court yard.

                He had woken up with a grogginess in the late afternoon on one of their holiday breaks, with the nagging that his precious Ototo would be whining about being hungry if he didn’t get some lunch for them. So, he set out making a feast. It wasn’t until later, about a week later when Shiro went grocery shopping, that he started to see the man. He was tall, taller than any of the priest. He wore a chief’s outfit and a weird hairstyle, done up like a loaf of bread sticking out of his head. He walked around the kitchen and through cabinets as if he was walking around a completely different kitchen. This man also called him Ace, except he seemed to think Ace was taller. His hand never quite touching Rin, landing on a shoulder that wasn’t there, or ruffling a head of hair that was a couple feet to short.

          He’d walk around Rin, telling him about spices and different type of foods. Some, after he looked it up, didn’t seem to really exist. Like a grilled Sea King Steak. Sea King wasn’t a thing, Rin knew, he had tried very hard to find it, when the thought of _oh yes, this is my favorite,_ popped into his head after the man told him the recipe.

“Add a teaspoon cinnamon in a few minutes before you take it off the heat. Bring that to a boil.”

                His cooking improved drastically and soon he was the main cook for the family. He never told them about the chief man he often called Aniki.

 

                At nine Shiro took him and Yukio to the zoo. While Yukio looked around in aw, Rin went straight to the tropical bird enclosure. Staring intently at all the bright feathers.

                “It’s not right.”

                “What’s, not right?” Shiro asked watching as Rin scrunched his nose and turned away from another bird with a pout.

                But Rin was already walking way mumbling about the shade of blue and the size of the birds.

 

               Later in the year he had found a cowboy costume for Halloween, the only other costume he wore outside of pirates. A large orange foam cowboy hat he wore afterwards until one of the priest’s gifted him with a real one for his birthday.

                He wore it till he got to school putting it in a cuby for safe keeping and put it back on the second he was allowed. He wore it around the house, to the park, and when they went shopping. Carefully, after spending his allowance on arts and crafts supplies, he fashioned a large red beaded necklace to it, before making two medallions.

                “My brother gave it to me,” he’d say when anyone would ask why he cherished it so.

                But that was not true. Yukio had given his no such gift. When the priests, Yukio, and Shiro pointed it out Rin would just look on in confusion before shaking his head.

                “My brother gave it to me,” he’d tell them sweetly.

 

It was the small things that played on his mind. Voices with whispered advice that he never questioned. Images that were as thin as fog and just as untouchable. A wisp of laughter, the warm of a hug, and a feeling he could never quite explain to his brother. Names would be on the tip of his tongue but would never leave trembling lips. He would whisper to Yukio that they had more family, brothers and sisters that would love Yukio because they loved Rin. He stopped telling his brother this, when childish wonder, hope, and acceptance made way for fear, mistrust, and whispered words to their father behind his back. He didn’t know how to tell Yukio that it wasn’t bad, so eventually he stopped telling him about the voices, touches, and feelings.

Because it was the small things that tickled his mind. He didn’t remember all at once.

Until, that is, he did. He woke up with the names gushing through his lips like a water fall, choked sobs calling to a family that wasn’t there.

                 

       Until, that is, he did. Until, he woke to fire in his veins, a familiar mix of blue and red. The smell of burning flesh and a sharp pair dulling his sense. His heart beating wildly in his chest, with an acute sense of loss that made his eyes water.

          One night, just before his tenth birthday, he went to bed…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS, KUDOS, AND BOOKMARKS!  
> Second, thank you for continuing to read my story, I hope you continue to like it and hopefully it inspires you to write.   
> Third, I may have graduated with a minor in creative writing but I am not a master and frequently make mistakes. Please Critique it, leave comments on what you think I could do better. But please no hate, if you don't like it you don't have to read it. I can tell the difference because I'm not going to lie 50% of writing class is spent critiquing each other's works.

          “Rin? Rin?” Yukio whispered, shaking his shoulder and trying to wake him up.

          He sucked in a sharp breath, blurry eyes focusing on his bespectacled brother. He lay there gasping for a few moments, before he choked out.

          “Nightmare, just a nightmare. Go back to bed Yuki.”

          “Nii-san.”

          He couldn’t help but to flinch, his mind swimming with another brunet that had lovingly called him that.

Ace, rolled his shoulders and turned away from Yukio. It was only when he heard his twin make his way back to bed that he allowed the tears to stream down his face, his pillow becoming soaked in seconds. When the sound of his brother’s small snores filled the room, sometime later, a sob passed through trembling lips.

“Oyaji,” he whined, curling the blanket tighter around him, “Ototo…. Everyone.”

His brother’s face stretched into shock and anguish. His father form standing tall and proud even as he died. His brothers, sisters, and friends fleeing a blood-filled battle ground.

Chocking back sobs, he let himself morn. His mind a whirlwind as all he could think of was that he would never see them again. Ace wasn’t sure he wanted to remember. The blood that sat under his nails. The ache in his chest as more and more people he loved came into the Marinford plaza. His muscles ached from the strain of the chains that left bruises in his memories. He didn’t want to remember being Ace. It hurt to much. He didn’t even want to think of the possibility that he would never see any of his nakama and family again.

 

          The night did not get better. After some heavy sobs, Yukio woke up, jumping from bed when Rin rolled over and darted out of the room. Following him down the hall, the bathroom door was slammed in his face.

          “Rin! Nii-san? Rin!” Yukio called out, trying to open the door in vain.

          “Wha- Yukio what’s going on?” Izumi muttered, coming out of his room.

          Flinching when the sound of dry heaving and the uncomfortable sound of just heaving, came through the bathroom door.

          “Izumi? Yukio?” Maruto mumbled, peeking out the door.

          “Something’s wrong with Nii-san.” Yukio told him, his gaze not moving from the door.

          “I’ll get Shiro.” Izumi told them turning to make his way back down the hall.

          After a few moments Shiro came out followed by Izumi. Walking briskly down the hall, he shooed Maruta and Izumi back to bed before looking at Yukio. His eyes soften as he looked at Yukio, placing at hand on his shoulder he spoke softly.

          “Go to bed Yukio, I’ll handle Rin, you have school tomorrow.”

          “But-“

          “Go to bed.” He said firmly.

          As Yukio left, Shiro knocked softly on the door,

          “Rin, I’m going to come in.”

          A weak moan answered him, so Shiro took out his share keys, and slipped into the bathroom.

          Rin was in his pajamas and hunched over the toilet, tears streaming down his face as he coughed weakly.

          “Papa.” He moaned.

          “Shhh, shhhh Rin, I got you.” He hummed, rubbing the boy’s back.

          They sat on the bathroom floor for nearly an hour before Rin stopped dry heaving. Leaning heavily on Shiro, he washed his mouth out before Shiro bent down and picked up all of Rin’s ten-year-old weight. Slipping the boy into bed, he kissed his forehead before going to Yukio. Yukio was peeking out from under his blanket, glancing up at Shiro sly before his gaze fell back on Rin’s sweating form.

          “We’ll take can of Rin, he’ll be okay.”

 

“Rin?” the soft voice of his father asked, his large hand on his shoulder and his weight sitting on his bed.

Moving his head, Rin could feel the crust from dried tears, his eyes swollen and throat soar. For a moment he was silent, trying to drag enough of Rin to pretend for just a moment that he wasn’t remembering a war.

“Dad?” He muttered back just as softly.

His eyes slightly glazed as he thought about his Oyaji, his strong form and laughter that shook the ship. Ace wished he could just lay on his lap one more time.

“How you feeling bud? Yuki said you had a rough night.”

“Mhhmmm.”

“Okay,” Shiro said, glancing up at the door where Yukio was peaking through. “I called the school, you’re gonna stay home today okay? Have a bit of a lie in.”

          Shiro patted his head before leaving the room, keeping the door cracked open.

          “Can you bring home his work?” his voice carried in the monastery.

          “Of course, do you think…?”

          “Your brother will be fine. Now go, or you’ll be late for school.”

          Rin stayed in bed all day, only sitting up to eat the soup one of the priests had prepared and to use the bathroom. He didn’t speak to any of them, instead staring at the wall. Under the blankets, unseen by his father’s worried eyes, Rin’s hand stayed splayed out over his chest, fingers twitching with every beat of his heart and inhale of his lungs.

          The adrenalin had helped, but the burning pain of his skin being disintegrated, muscles being pushed away and most of it turned to ash along with any fat he had kept. He had smiled because Luffy was there, holding him and crying. He knew couldn’t let Luffy know how much it hurt. To breath, the pain that was worse then drowning. To move, even though it was just to smile. His heart was metaphorically and physically torn up.

          For three days he did little else but eat and sleep. Turning away from his families worried gazes, he curled under his blanket and stay there.

          On the forth day, he rose from his cocoon after his brother left- he needed just one more day out of school and then he swears he would go back-pulling the blanket off the bed with him. He stumbled out of the room, his legs numb and side soar from laying in bed.

          “Rin!”

          “Ohayo.”

          Shiro glanced back at the priest before guiding him into a seat, pushing food in front of him with a stern expression.

          “How are you feeling?”

          “…Better.”

          “That’s good, we were all worried about you.” Izumi chimed in, nudging the priest with his elbow.

          “Very worried-“

          “All of us!”

          “After all, whose gonna do the cooking?”

          A grin stretched across his face, as they hackled and teased each other. For a moment his eyes glazed and his head slumped.

         

          _“You can’t send me on a mission! Whose gonna feed our black hole!?” Thatch whined, pulling Ace into a headlock._

_“I’m sure the fourth division can handle it yoi.” Marco said, his unamused face set in stone and hand still holding out the paper with Thatch’s mission information._

_“I can always take the mission.” Ace grinned widely, reaching out to grab at the paper just as Thatch pulled him tighter to his body._

_“Nah-huh,” and he snatched the paper from Marco, talking off down the hall._

Blinking back memories, he was met with Izumi and Maruta’s faces were some inches from his own. Maruta’s hand was raised and just a hair off of his forehead, while Izumi was holding out a glass of ice water.

“I’m fine, I’m sorry I worried you.” He bowed, as much as he could sitting down at a table.

“I think, I can go to school tomorrow.” He told Shiro quietly.

“Are you sure? You can stay here!” Nagatomo urged, “We can watch over you, and Yukio has been gathering all your homework. Maruta and I can help you with it.”

“No, I’m okay.” He answered back blandly, flinching at his own unnecessary rudeness.

“Sorry, thank you for taking care of me.” He bowed again, his head nearly hitting the table in his haste.

With his eyes down, he missed the worried and perplexed looks shared between the priest.

“Okay then, take it easy and if you get tired one of us will get you okay?” Shiro relented, “For now, eat. We can help with some of your homework and then it’s back to bed for you.”

Ruffling Rin’s dark hair, he turned to make his way back towards the twin’s room, coming back after a moment with some paper and textbooks.

Grabbing the book, Rin opened it and kept it to the side as he swiftly ate. In minutes his plate was empty, but he wasn’t willing to ask for seconds even if he wasn’t full. Smiling and nodding his head in thanks, he moved to do his work, absentmindedly reading over the text.

          His hand moving over his notebook with a fluidity not many knew he had. Scratching numbers and fact down, all written in romanji. Rather, in slanted words that looked vaguely English but the exorcist could recognize it as something else.

          The air grew tense for several minutes as the priest looked at the words their ward was writing before more looked back up at Shiro in blind panic. Shaking his head sharply, he leaned over Rin with a smile and murmur pointing out an important fact on the text. All he could think was this was better than his division paperwork.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first of all I didn't know that I didn't update. Like I came on like last week and did chapter notes and everything but I guess that I clicked X to soon after clicked update. 
> 
> Second, Littlebluegirlgirl did an amazing picture! https://littlegirlbluegirl.tumblr.com/post/183106242303/little-rin-from-alinears-fic-the-blue-flames-of
> 
> Third, thank you for all the comments, kudos, and bookmarks. Thank you for enjoying the story!

Ace rolled his shoulder, closed his eyes, and screamed. He screamed like he uses to in Mt Colubo, loud and wild, echoing around him and into the sky. Turning, he slammed his head into a tree- splintering it with ease, slamming his fist into the tree before curling his fingers into the bark. There was no giant animals or equally strong brothers to help calm down. Breathing deeply, he splintered the tree and cracked it to its core.

          His fingers twitched violently as he tried to keep everything in. He lifted his head from its place against the tree, cracking his neck he pushed himself away from the destroyed tree. He stumbled to the tree next to it and sat down cross legged with his eyes focused on the grass. Feeling each blade between his fingers and the dirt on his palm. With the canopy overhead, dirt in his nails, smell of grass, and the sound of buzzing and chirping, Ace could almost pretend he was back at Dadan’s.

          _“Ace-nii! Acee,” the whining voice of his brother called out before he rolled into view._

_Actually rolling, his rubbery limbs giving him cushion as he tumbled. When he finally stood his shorts were ripped and he had lost his shirt somewhere along the way. Shaking his head, Luffy trotted over before sitting in his brother’s lap. Facing his chest, Luffy snuggling his head back into Ace’s neck, and wrapped his arms multiple times around his chest._

_Linking his arms around his brother’s waist, Ace pulled him closer. He heard as much as felt his brother sniffle and the wetness start to drip down his shoulder._

_“Thought nii-chan left already.” He mumbled, pulling back just far enough to get his words out._

_“Lu,” Lifting his hand to run his fingers through the soft fluffy hair of his younger brother, “I’d never leave without saying goodbye.”_

_“No, goodbye.”_

_“Yeah, yeah your right. This is just a see you later. When you get a bounty, I’ll come find you.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Promise.”_

His chest ached when he thought of Luffy. His wide brown eyes and large smile. But the image in his mind was obscured with the picture of his brother covered in dirt and grime, the tiredness he cloaked around him, and the bruises beginning to bloom on too thin limbs and chest. He could still feel his brother’s arms around him, holding him up as he died. The last thing he heard was his little brother calling to him but for the first time in what felt like forever, Ace couldn’t get up to help him.

          “Rin?” a familiar voice called out in concern.

          Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of Yukio, his glass glittering in the sun and his hair messed up, he was bent over and face set up in a frown.

          “Nii-san?” He asked again just as nervous as before, his eyes glancing up to look at the destroyed tree.

          “Hey,” his voice came out scruffy and cracked, “What’s up?”

          A smile cracked on his lips as he held his hand out for Rin. “You disappeared, even the priests are out looking for you.” He explained.

          Taking the hand, he heaved himself up and dusted off his pants.

          “Everyone’s still worried about last week.” He said lightly, “I told them I’m fine.”

          For a while they walked in silence back towards the street and in the vague direction of the monastery.

          “If it was anyone else, you’d be worried to Nii-san.” Yukio said as they stepped through the trees, “It’s what family’s for.”

          “Aye, it’s what family is for.”

They walked home in near silence. Walking across the city in comfort, only stopping so Yukio could use a store phone to call the priests. It was evening before they got home, to the priests waiting by the door, crowding the corridor.

          “Rin!”

“Rinn!”         

“Rin!”

The priest cheered, pulling him inside quickly, patting him down and scolding him lightly.

          “Don’t disappear like that!”

          “Yeah, we were worried.”

         

          _“Ace!”_

_“ACEEEE!”_

_“Oya!”_

_The crew called out as Ace’s booted feet hit the deck with a soft thump. His division and crew came forward, slapping his back and laughing, holding out the newspaper to show his rise in bounty._

_“Gurararara, have fun my son?”_

_With a nearly feral grin Ace nodded._

_“You gotta tell us the story! We were nearly worried when you didn’t check in.” Thatch cheered, his hand resting on Ace’s shoulder as he steered the crowd towards the mess hall._

“Sorry,” He answered back sheepishly, “I went to clear my head.”

          “Next time leave a note!” Maruta called out.

          “Okay, okay!” He swatted at the hand that tried to ruffle his hair, “What’s for dinner?”

          He tried to divert. Pushing through to make his way towards the kitchen with a laugh and a wave of his hand. Just missing the cautious looks shared between the priest and Yukio.

          Absentmindedly Rin gathered ingredients and started to make dinner. For a second his vision blurred and tan hands with freckles dusting over the arms and hand, overlapped with his own smaller paler ones. He gripped the spoon harder, easily bending the metal. Breathing heavily, he released his grip on the spoon and quickly tossed it away before anyone could see.

          It had been happening more often, the double image of his body as Ace overlapping his current body. He had already tripped over the stairs, the sidewalk, and just about everything- he was taller as Ace. His 6’1 frame was significantly different then his current height, and it had been ten years since he was ten years old. Everything felt very uncoordinated now. Ge expected a wider stride, longer arms, and, he thought rather sullenly looking over his thing chest, significantly more muscles.

          But, Rin and in his past life as Ace, he was nothing if not adaptable.

          It took a while, Christmas making way for New Years, and classes resuming. He had sleepless nights and classes spent day dreaming instead of taking notes. Memories coming back and settling like blankets. It was strange, Rin thought to himself, now having memories of the same day when he was ten, both as Rin and Ace.

          He could remember his birthday, the one he sent with Sabo and Luffy.

_The air chilly as the New Year rolled in. Their tree house was a nest of blankets and clothes they either stole from Dadan or found in the Grey Terminal. Ace had stayed away most of the night, with Luffy laying over top him and half on Sabo as Sabo cuddled his arm. He had never felt so warm, not from the blankets or the bodies on him. But in his chest, it bloomed and made his cheeks tingle as he smiled wildly into the night. So, when the sunlight streamed through, he groggily batted away Luffy’s demanding tugs and Sabo’s voice calling him to wake up._

_“No,” he told them without opening his eyes, curling the blankets tighter around him as he turned._

_“Wake up!”_

_After a moment of silence, Ace peaked one eye open. Sabo was pulling Luffy and scowling softly._

_“Let’s let him sleep, come on.”_

_“But Saaabooo,” their youngest brother whined, stomping his foot._

_“We’ll catch breakfast-” the rest of his words were drowned out as he leaned in to whisper into Luffy’s ear, making the boy giggle._

_The two left, allowing Ace to fall back to sleep. When he did wake up it was to the sun blinding him, showing off it was about midday. Rubbing his eyes, he stretched out. It was as he was sitting up and looking around at the empty tree house that he noticed a far-off sound that was echoing in the trees._

_“AceAceAceAceAceAceAceAce.”_

_Getting up, he peered out on of their windows to see Sabo holding a white box over his head and Luffy pulling a boar behind him as he chanted. Luffy’s head shot up and his brown eyes sparkled as he called out._

_“ACE, WE BROUGHT YOU MEAT!”_

_Jumping down he peered at his blond brother that scurried pasted, holding the box out of sight._

_“ACE!” Luffy shot forward, wrapping thin arms around him with a cheer._

_“GET OFF!” he snarled, pushing him down._

_“MEAT!” He shouted back at Ace, pointing at the boar._

_“Okay, okay, start getting the stuff ready for a fire.” He told him, pushing him towards the woods as he moved to start skinning the boar._

_He ate the boar by himself, after Sabo pulled Luffy aside and reminded him they got the boar for Ace. Afterwards they drag him back into the tree house, showing small streams weaved through the beams and hanging off random ledges. A lop-sided and with sloppy writing, a cake sat with the words ‘Happy Birthday ACE.’_

_In his shock he didn’t react as thin rubbery arms wrapped around him multiple times from the front, and leaning against his back his blond brother hooked his arms around his neck. Whispered words of happy birthday and giggles tingled against his skin._

_He’d find out later that as he slept, they had rushed down to the Party Bar, the original plan being that one would stay behind to distract him as the other helped make the cake. Ace had thought it was downright amazing the cake made it back only being lopsided and not half eaten if not completely eaten by Luffy._

          His birthday was a different day now, only a few days different really, but it still felt strange to celebrate New Years without the added Birthday tacked on. But, as he gazed at the festival happening around him, with his brother by his side and father leading the way. This New Years was just as good, just in different ways.

          A little farther away, in the grass the priest had gathered on a picnic blanket, waiting for the fireworks. The main area was lit with fairy lights along with lanterns, showering the stalls and people with the twinkling light. Cheering softly, Rin folded his knees and handed out the snacks he had just bought for them. He was sad that Yukio hadn’t dressed up for the Holiday, his mind whispering both his blond and hyperactive brothers would have loved to dress up and walk around the fair.

          It was strange, he thought, relaxing back into the grass and gazing up at the darkening sky. Having two memories of the same day, at the same age, with different people and locations, as a different person… he even looked different then he uses to. He was paler, hair tinted bluer then the inky black, and blue eyes that matched Marco’s fire. But other things were the same, he thought to himself firmly. He was just as strong even before his memories, and, as he glanced at Yukio, just as protective. He supposes there is a reason for that.

          But well, he was Ace as much as he was Rin. All the memories it entailed, even the emotions and ache, and loss… he wouldn’t be Rin without the memories of Ace. After all, he was Ace first, long before he was Rin, he thought as he hummed in acknowledgment, handing Shiro a bottle of water.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as long as most of my chapters, but I'm very fond of this and how Ace/Rin thinks.   
> Not a lot of action or anything, kinda of a slow chapter I know, sorry~   
> I don't plan on taking this long to update again! Sorry for how long it took!!!

 

            Rin glanced up towards the chalk board, looking over another timeline carefully mapped out and annotations listed neatly next to dates. His blue notebook on his right was litter in notes, some in Latin but most in the scripted that was native to Dawn Island. _Though_ , he thought as he noticed a few words, _some words were more native to the Grandline._

Pushing the thought and the notebook away he pulled the notebook on his left close. On the main page was a detailed drawling of the Whitebeard Jolly Roger, he darkened the outline before moving on to draw images floating around it. A half-drawn feather was falling from a cowboy hat, on the other side of the skull were outlines of a rose and diamond. The page before it had the Strawhat’s Jolly Roger, but colored in with jell pens. The page before that one was the ASL flag they had made in their youth; each letter had their significant hats and colors.

He didn’t worry about anyone calling him out, the teachers had joined the student body in ignoring him. The teachers had started blaming him for every fight, broken object, and conflict in the school. The whispers of demon, hell spawn, and monster followed him into the town. It had gotten so bad, that the teachers had even accused him of cheating on his best subjects. The last four weeks he had been required to re-take every quiz and test with three teachers standing over him in the office. No matter what he said or did the only one that believed him was Shiro. It was like everyone had forgotten his scores use to be just under Yukio’s.

…Kinda reminded him of growing up on Dawn, everyone from the towns and city had called him the same things. Though, it was all three of them and not just him… though that might be because Luffy and Sabo were usually causing hell with him, unlike Yukio. He bit his lip and shook his head, trying to stop the thought where it was. He couldn’t see them again and he didn’t know what happened. He wanted to believe-no needed to believe that Luffy made it out of that war and became Pirate King. It made the ache hurt less.

Tapping his pen on the paper, he glanced back towards the board before his eyes lazily fell onto his brother’s back. Right as he was debating if he should throw a ball of paper at Yukio’s head the bell rang for lunch. Stretching his back out before standing, lazily walking through the classroom and hall, ignoring the groups of people that jumped out of the way. He made his way towards the roof like he was on a mission, laying back and allowing the sun to warm him like it had on the open seas of the New World and the lazy days on Dawn.

Closing his eyes, he hummed an old sea shanty. It was as a breeze passed by making him shiver and wish for a sweater. He was really beginning to miss his devil fruit, the flames that came from within and kept him warm even during the harshest snow storms.

 

The door to the roof was open slightly, allowing Yukio to peek at his brother’s relaxed form. Ever since his friends left and the teachers turned their back Rin had been tense and angry. Not angry like when the kid tried to hit him, a sad sort of anger, like he knew eventually they would leave him. Yukio tensed as coal tar began to float closer to him, huffing angrily at the small fuzz he swatted it away before closing the door. If he had stayed just a few moments longer he would have seen Rin light up, eyes opening and smiling playing at his lips as blue flames busted forth like a bonfire, scaring away the coal tar.

 

“Marco…” He whispered fondly, raising his hand up to watch the fire play across his fingers.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having a hard time writing scenes as they happen instead of completely in exposition but I like writing out Rin/Ace's thought process so it might stay this way until they reach high school. Sorrrryyyyy

“This is stupid.” Rin announced loudly, not sure if he was saying it to himself or the little fuzzy black soot balls that follow him around.

            Their cute, in a fuzzy way, and it’s not like he wasn’t use to animals following him- back in the Grandline after he got his devil fruit if he fell asleep in a town he’d wake up to a pile of cats laying across his chest and limbs- hell the mousers of the Moby Dick 9 times out of 10 would be found in his room. (His room also became 100% rodent free)

            One landed on his outstretched palm, nuzzling it before floating up and away. Smiling lazily, he poked it to move it around faster, he always felt bad when he accidently squashed one or if they got to close and-well they weren’t fire proof.

            Flexing his fingers he tried again, summoning the warm from his chest and pushing it down to his hands. His entire arm tingled, and he couldn’t help but jerk it involuntarily at the feeling. The flames sprung up from his fingertips sluggishly, unwilling almost, and didn’t grow past the size of candle flames.

            His eyes narrow as he glares at the flames, one moment and then another before the fizzle out with a dying ember.

            His stomach growls angrily for a moment before his face brightens.

            “Fire’s need fuel!” he cheered before digging into his convent store bag, trying to the gallon of chocolate milk he had gotten a half hour before.

            Sitting cross legged on the hard wood floors, he chugged the gallon in seconds before sitting back to contemplate if he should start making dinner.

            “Nii-chan I’m home.” Yukio voiced called out from the hallway before their shared door creaked open.

            Yukio offered him a smile as he glanced at the discarded gallon and his own form on the ground.

            “You’re going to have a sugar rush or make yourself sick again.” He fussed.

            While the priest had gone back to treating him like normal, after he remembered and freaked out for those few days Yukio had still walked around him like he was going to start crying again. Even though it had been nearly half a year, Yukio still checked on his every night and always greeted him with a nervous ‘how are you.’

            “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he told him, swatting his hand in the air.

            “If you’re sure Nii-san.”

            It’s not like Rin didn’t understand Yukio’s worries. While he had all his memories of before and love Yukio dearly, Rin had become rather awkward around him. He tries to be supportive and do more stuff with Yukio, but it is hard, this younger brother isn’t like any brother he had before. Not Luffy or Sabo, or anyone on the Moby Dick. He’s more studious and as time goes on, he seems more like a stiff adult then the almost eleven-year-old Rin knows he is. All his experience as Ace just made him view Yukio differently, treat him differently as Yukio played this weird dance on trying to check up on him but also distance himself.

            He had started to take extra after school classes and tell Rin less and less things. But… well Rin suppose that had been happening for a while, since they were seven. When his stories use to make Yukio laugh, after they hit seven, they would make him pale and run off to their father. Yukio never told him anything anymore- which was a completely new experience, Sabo and Luffy would tell him everything and anything there was no secrets between them, even after not seeing Luffy for four years he could still read his brother like no one’s business. But with Yukio…

But Yukio was still his younger brother, he still had all the memories of playing with him. So, Rin would protect him, after all his twin was weaker than his ototo was at this age. He vaguely wondered if he should teach Yukio how to punch and fight back against his bullies… would make his life easier.

            “Ne, Yukio wanna help me make dinner?” He asked lightly, knowing that cooking wasn’t his brother’s best skill.

            “No, I’m going to finish some homework, maybe Tou-san can help you?”

            Rocking himself up and to his feet, he grabbed the empty gallon and hummed out an answer to Yukio as he walked out the door.

            “Tou-san?” Rin called out, peering into foyer.

            A couple was standing their talking to Shiro, their words hushed as they spoke. Shaking his head at the familiar image, he only really stopped from leaving when he caught sight of a large round creature that was sitting close to them. Blinking in surprise at the bumpy green skin and its large mouth he sat for a second before turning with a shrug.

            While the creature he saw were familiar to him, he figured he would treat it like he did any animal he saw on the Grandline and Mount Covo. If it didn’t bother him- and he wasn’t hungry- then he didn’t bother it.

            Passing by the priest, “I’m starting dinner!” he shouted, stepping into the kitchen with a flourish, wondering if they had the ingredients to make the seafood risotto like how Thatch had taught him- just without sea king.

            Humming softly an old pirate tune Vista had taught him so long ago, Rin started shifting through the cabinets and gathering ingredients.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> haha, i didn't forget. This is just... I know what i want to do in like chap 10... getting there is the problem.

                Rin was acting strange; he had been ever since the nightmare he had that had laid him out for nearly a week. Yukio shuddered just thinking about the time. Rin had been unconsolably, sobbing on and off but unwilling to answer any questions they had begged him to answer. The entire week, Rin had given Yukio the cold shoulder, eyes dark when he asked questions before facing his back towards him. Rin’s usual hyper restlessness had been completely gone, replaced with an all-consuming lethargy and quietness- only broken by his sobs. Shiro had phoned three doctors, include one that worked at the order, terrified that Rin’s narcolepsy medication had something to do with it.

                But Rin had gotten out of bed, trying to act his normal cheerful self like the monastery- like Yukio couldn’t see the edge of his smile. The weight that suddenly made his shoulders hunch and the distant looks he’d get before silent tears would slip down his cheeks, Shiro might have said he was maturing but even Yukio could hear the uneasiness in his voice.

                All of the stress had sent him into a frenzy, wishing, hoping, praying that Rin’s behavior and the dream didn’t have to do with _him._ Yukio was terrified that, Satan had started to whisper to Rin, poisoning his innocent and cheerful brother. Shiro had tried to reassure him, telling Yukio that with the protection around the monastery and no large surge of demon activity it was highly improbable that it had anything to do with Satan. This didn’t calm him down.

                The thought only dug deeper as Rin plastered the walls with well done detailed pictures. Crossbones over black backgrounds, diagramed ships with strange letters written around it, strange colored unnaturally swirling fruit, and faces- dozens of faces both old and young done in loving detail to every last scar- one even bathed in blue fire. He had swallowed thickly, biting back fear and acid when he had seen that one. His chest had only tightened, leaving him breathless, when he realized that most of the drawings matched pictures that were already on their walls- crude pictures done by an over excited 5-year-old. The pictures Rin had drawn to show Yukio, to explain his childish stories that he had clung to not even two years ago.

                In a wild bid to protect his brother, Yukio had taken home dozens of demon classification books, trying to find- trying to make sure- that none matched the pictures. It was during one of those research sessions that Rin came strolling in, a long metal pipe slung over his shoulder with a neat cloth tied to the end. He gave Yukio a wide grin, canines sparkling- Yukio didn’t remember them being that long before- as he twisted the pipe slightly before dropping it on his bed.

                For a moment he rummaged around the makeshift bag before tossing a can to Yukio with a “Here.” Pulling out another can for himself.

                Rin took strides, with more confidence then he had ever had before, over to his own desk- pulling out large paper, rulers, and his shading pencils. Neatly writing in Romanjia and then in the squiggly letters.

                _Striker_

Glancing down, he caught sight of the brand of iced coffee, it was the expensive kind, the one he’d buy every few months when exwire exams and school got to hard.

                “Nii-san?” He called, waiting for Rin to lift his head away from his paper, “How’d you get this? You spent all you’re allowance on art supplies?”          

                Yukio knew that, Rin had gotten expensive art supplies, rulers, pencils, papers, precision knife, a block of wood, it had taken three weeks of allowance money. Rin hummed, shrugging his shoulders innocently as he drew a sharp line on the paper.

                “Some weird, purple haired guy in a top hat- kinda like Dawn really,” Yukio heard before Rin pushed his face closer to the paper, eyes squinting, and his words becoming muffled.

                But he had heard enough, his stomach dropped even as his chest burned in anger. _Mephisto had a deal not to get close to Rin, what was he doing?_ He stood abruptly, sending his chair clattering to the ground. Rin’s head shot up even as his hand froze, staring in confusion as Yukio stormed out. Breathing heavily, Yukio sprinted down the hall and into Shiro’s study, almost sliding into the wall when he socks slid.

                “Tell that demon to stay away from Nii-san.” He demanded; his words hissed even as he stepped closer to Shiro for comfort.

                Shiro opened his moth to question him, the priest peering up from their own desk as Yukio continued, “Nii-san just said some guy with purple hair and a top hat gave him money!”

                Shiro’s face twitched before settling into a scowl, just as Rin slide across the floor and slammed into the wall.

                “What’s wrong?” He demanded, eyes darting between Shiro and Yukio,“ Yukio just freaked out and bolted!”

                “Rin,” Shiro sighed, stepping forward to place his hands-on Rin’s shoulders, “You can’t take things from strangers, least of all strange men in top hats. If any of them offer you things, they probably are into some shady business and you don’t want to be apart of that do you?” Rin dutifully shook his head, even as his face stayed in bewildered confusion, “Good, yes you don’t. He might come back to ask for favors or to say you owe him. Now, why don’t you give me the rest of the money and I’ll make sure it gets sent back to the right person, okay?”

                Rin narrowed his eyes for a moment before turning on his heel and walking out the door, for a few tense seconds the priest and Yukio sat in silence before Rin came back, handing Shiro a pink fuzzy wallet.

 

                Rin and Yukio were asleep, when Shiro went to call Mephisto, and before he could greet him or lecture him Mephisto was off.

                “I miss placed my wallet or Aman took it,” He hissed over the line, “I haven’t been able to find it since this morning.”

                Shiro froze with the phone to his face, absentmindedly twirling the wallet in his hands.

                “So, you have no idea where it is?”

                “No? I might have left it with the Vatican.” He mused out loud.

               As the demon king ranted and fused over the phone, Shiro leaned back in his chair, eyes still glued to the wallet.

               "That's...interesting." he finally settled.

                "Shiro, this is not the time for your nonsense, this was my favorite wallet." 

               "I'm sure it will turn up."


	8. Chapter 8

               Rin stepped back, away from the man in a fancy black and silver coat, bowing at the waist as his fingers drafty slipped into his own hoodie and deposited the commandeered wallet into a newly sewn in pocket. For a split second he felt bad, the clothes under the coat wasn’t nearly as nice and the nagging that the fancy coat being a gift dug into his head.

               As he passed into a side alley, Rin thought about that. Wondering if the guilt was his life as Rin and Shiro’s teaching or the fact as Ace he had almost exclusively stole from nobles- the idea of stealing from someone like Makino made acid curl up his throat.

               Shaking the thought away, he opened the wallet, pocketing the cash before lighting his fingers on fire. He couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face as the flames responded so readily. The flames wouldn’t grow the quick and never got that big, but Rin was just happy he still had the warmth and safety of his fire. He watched silently as the blue flames licked and ate the wallet, curling around the plastic credit cards and IDs melting them into goopy liquid.

               Shaking the flames and remains of the wallet off his hands, he counted the money. As he passed the monastery he quickly glanced at the windows, making sure none of the priest or Yukio were looking out the windows, he slipped the cash into the donation box.

               Turning on his heel, Rin started to walk back down the street.

               “Rin! Nii-san!” Yukio called out, half jogging out of the monastery.

               Rin grinned, feeling his lips pull up as he flashed his little brother the famous D smile.

               “Yu,” he greeted.

               “Where are you going?”

               “Mhmmm, We’ll I was gonna head to the park,” he hedged, glancing at Yukio out of the corner of his eye, “Buttttt, I think we should head to the café. They have a new dark chocolate coffee cake that just screams your name.”

               Yukio smiled, eyes darting back to the donation box for a second before turning back to his brother, “Lead the way.”

               Walking down the street the two brothers stayed relatively silent- other than Rin’s absentminded humming. The younger stared at his brother as they walked, staring at Rin’s soft smile and the way his blue green eyes sparkled. His brother seemed content.

               “Hey, Nii-san,” Yukio hedged, turning his gaze towards the ground.

               “Yeah?”

               “Do you… do you remember those stories you use to tell me? About those brothers and uh-“ Yukio squinted , tilting his head as he searched through his memories, “Pirates?”

               Rin hummed, bringing his hands up to rest behind his head as he side-eyed his brother for a moment before smiling, stretching his lips across his sharp canines into the infamous D smile.

               Yukio made a face, brow drawing down as his lips pulled bath against pearly white teeth. He shook his head and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

               “Could you tell me one of the stories?”

               “Hmmmm Okay, I got a new one! So, did I ever tell you how the oldest brother ended up joining the Whitebeard crew?”

               “No, I don’t think you have.”

               “Okay, okay, well you remember my- the name Ace?”

               “Yes, that was _Fire fist,_ wasn’t it?”

               “Mhm, so he had set sail at seventeen and…”

               Rin chattered, leading Yukio into the café.

               “Which I’m pretty sure is considered kidnapping, like if you think about it? Like Ace hadn’t wanted to stay…”

He continued his story as Yukio order for them and as they sat, pausing to inhale his cake before continuing.

               “Which like Yukio, I want you to realize these guys were huge! Like some as tall as building big! And I-Ace wasn’t short, he’s taller than the old man.”

               As Rin told his story happily, Yukio had taken out a notebook, rapidly filling the pages with notes- underlined names and information to look up and cross check- phrases Rin slipped out _Beli, Red-line, one piece, shichibukai,_ were just a few.

               Tapping his pen gently against the paper, Yukio stopped for a moment to watch Rin.

               Rin was smiling, waving his hands widely as he spoke, his blue green eyes sparked as he gushed about fighting movies and just how beautiful the ship was- really you had to believe him.

               “Nii-san.”

               Rin stopped, hand halfway through a gesture to explain exactly how the infamous fire fist move actually worked. Tilting his head, he watched Yukio chew on the end of his pen.

               “Have you thought about writing this? Making a book or manga?”

               “Wha?”

               “It’s just- Nii-san what do you want to do?”

               Scrunching his nose, Rin frowned, lips pursed out as he looked at his little brother.

               “You mean when I grow up?” he said tensely.

               Yukio bowed his head.

               _I want to find others, see if Thatch or Ors or anyone else is here. I want to make sure you stay safe; I already lost so many brothers… I want to sail again, feel the breeze in my hair and sun on my skin. I want to have my fire again. I want to explore this new world, see every land and see the creatures that roam the lands that are so similar but different. I want to be free. I want my family._

_“_ That’s an idea.” He says instead, “Write down all my adve- all my stories. Do you think they’d sell?”

               “You have an amazing imagination Nii-san, I’m sure everyone would love it. I can proof read and edit everything first! You know I _love_ your stories.”

               “Maybe.” he answers, thinking of a blond brother and dreams of the truth an adventure that never happened.

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

               Sliding his feet against the hard wood floors, side eyeing the priest as they cleaned, before making a break towards the door. Stepping out of the door he pulled his hoodie on, pulling the hood up to cover his head as he walked down the street. It took a while, far longer then he was use to in this life. But he finally reached his destination, hesitating as he stared at the sign.

               He had never stepped foot in a library before- not voluntary at least- not as Rin and defiantly not as Ace. He knew Yukio came to the library regularly, at least three times a week. Sabo, he supposed had gone to the library before running away. Luffy… Luffy was well… Luffy…

               Anyway, he stood at the front door staring inside at the shelves of books, eyeing the people at the front desk. His fingers pulled roughly at his sleeves before he took a step inside. Pulling his hood back, he walked further into the room, keeping his head ducked even as he scanned the room for what he was looking for.

 

Rin sat down at the library computer, staring at the blank screen. Shakily he brought his hands up to rest them on the keyboard before typing.

               He wasn’t sure where to start, at first, he slowly typed out the start of his story sailing away from Dawn. Only that didn’t feel right. So, he started again with joining the Whitebeard pirates. But as he typed about curling on the deck of the Moby Dick, his chest ached.

 An older lady hummed as she walked by his chair. He leaned back, letting his eyes wander around the library, eyeing the librarians and people walking.

“Nii-chan! Nii-chan!?” a dark-haired toddler in overalls ran forward screaming, ignoring the shushing of the librarians as he stumbled into an older boy’s side.

The older boy had the same dark hair, but also an amused smile on his lips as he caught the younger boy, bowing his head towards the librarians in apologize as he dragged the chattering toddler.

Tilting his head, he watched the two walk out the glass doors before he finally typed.

_This is a story of three brothers, not by blood but by the ultimate bond, by choice._

He typed word for word, the journey he and his brothers took, meeting each other, first him and Sabo and then their hyperactive little brother joining them. He wrote each of them lovingly, like the fond memory it was, of the heat of the summer sun through the trees and the excitement that bubbled when they looked at each other, the infectious laugh that would send them to the dirt. He wrote of Blue Jam and the pain of seeing Luffy tied up, though he hadn’t realized it then, the spike of fear that Sabo wouldn’t be safe in the Grey Terminal. But even with that he couldn't put down their fathers' name, even being in a completely different world he could not admit to the sin of his blood. Instead he wrote of three brothers just meeting under a summer sun and sharing sake, unknowing of their fates or what their father's blood had condemned them too. 

He eyed the pages wearily, the words that had flown so easily before had grinded to a holt as he got closer and close to the fire that had ruined their lives.

Pursing his lips out he clicked on the screen, coping the words before going to the browser, searching and searching before pasting it.

Eyeing the dark words that sat on top of the document, before typing out.

**Part 1: Sakazuki, the Bond**

“For Sabo,” he whispered as he clicked send licking his chapped licks before adding, “and Luffy, watch out of me brothers.”

Clicking the X he left the library and didn't return for nearly a week, a week while a message sat in the comments in words that matched no known language was a simple message, a hand out of hope.

 

 

"Ne, What would you do if the pirate king had a son?"


End file.
